I Remembered When My Nigeria Army Friend Visited Me Early That Year Around March 2023 After His Passing Out Of Parade

 My friend came to the place where I was working, a private facility at Akwanga Nasarawa State Nigeria in the evening. He asked of me and they nurses told him I was working in the laboratory he should wait a little bit till I comes out. They nurses didn't go to the laboratory or even told me someone is asking of me outside, It was after I was done with all the blood and stool samples I was working in the laboratory and came outside and saw him sitting talking with some nurses in the GOPD.  I even forgot I was still in the hospital not knowing when I shouted his name officer Benjamin in the building and all of us including patients that were sitting at the OPD laughed and we hugged each other. After we are done hugging each other, I noticed he slimmed down. He wasn't fat or big like the way he was before he joined Nigeria army and went for six months Nigeria army recruitments training. He looked at me and smiled and said I will not understand the pain, struggles, hunger, and discipline they went through during the six months training of Nigeria army recruitments that's why am saying he has slimed down. He asked me did I expected him to look the same way I knew him the way he went for the Nigeria army training? He further said there's no one or nobody that has gone for that six months training and remained the same way he left home. He started gisting and telling me what they did while they were still in the camp training. How they will run for so many kilometers early morning almost everyday. The kind of different training they have undergoes, standing or lying down flat under hot sun during the day for so many hours. He told me a lot of different kinds of stories and the kind of training they did for six months that touches my heart even though I was laughing while he was telling me. I felt the pained while he was telling me yet the training makes him stronger and bold than the way he was.  This particular pictures we took together around 2019, when we went for his cousin sister traditional marriage. My army friend Benjamin was known for his kind of dressing, he likes wearing suit and tie even in the afternoon. I remembered we used to tease him why he likes wearing suit and tie in a hot afternoon while we are wearing native dress to feel comfortable and have fresh air. He will laughed and said did he told us he isn't comfortable in the suit or what? He will said we should allowed him in his suit because that's what he felts to wear and he is happy wearing it.  Benjamin is big or huge in body structure, and because of his big body structure he used to tease and laugh at me, saying jokingly that he will béat the slim out of me if I tried and disturbed him and we will both laughed. We were good friends for a very long time now  And this pictures was taken around October 2022, when we went for my girlfriend graduation at Bethel Baptist Church Lafia. Benjamin and my girlfriend are very close as well and most time three of us used to hangout together when we have money hahaha. I told Benjamin about my girlfriend's graduation and he told me he will go with me. We went there together and I went along with the frame gift I did for her while Benjamin bought her a wrist watch without even telling me.  It was after I presented my gift to my girlfriend he brought out the gift he has for her and gave it to her. That day was one of the beautiful days of my life with my girlfriend because she was so happy and excited for all the surprised gifts we gave her.  Benjamin was always there for me even though we do fight and have misunderstanding at times, yes we do fight and argued at times but we certainly settled our misunderstanding and let go of the hurtful past and move on as friends.  So, because of his big body muscles and he loves for military he often talked about joining Nigeria army someday and luckily for him that same 2022 he was shortlisted and went for Nigeria army recruitments training for six months. For all passed months I have missed him, although we talked time to time while he was in the training ground. I couldn't make it for his passing out parade for some personal reasons and he knew about it. He never told me the exact day he will come back home, but everytime I asked him when is he coming home for a short break he will tell me soon . And even the week he came he told me he will come home this particular week but I wasn't expecting to see him in my place of work that day because he didn't told me he came home already let alone to expect him in my place of work.  That day was so remarkable memory that I can not get over it or forget it. When I saw him he was slim because of the hard training but very strong inside and matured in heart. It's from that moment I knew we won't be having enough time together as friends again because he is now a Nigeria army. He will go back to his place of work, possibly a far state for his own assignment. We will only meet or see ourselves any small opportunity he gets to come home for few days then still go back again. Having a single, caring and supportive friend like Benjamin is far better than having a hundred friends that aren't caring or supportive in life. Each time I came across this particular picture of Benjamin wearing his Nigeria army t-shirt and short nicker and I in this picture, it will just got me thinking about him and the amazing memories we have shared with each other that is unforgettable in my life as a friend.